My Valentine, Shika
by Rose Duchess
Summary: Ino has given chocolate to her two teammates for years. What will happen if the chocolate for Shikamaru is intended to show her real feelings? ShikaIno with hints of NaruHina.


**Here is a story for today about my favorite Naruto couple. I hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, Masashi Kishimoto does.**

"_This year, I will give this chocolate to Shika, to let him know how I really feel_," Ino thought to herself.

She was walking from her house with two boxes wrapped in red paper. One was tame in design, while the other was covered in hearts and had a rose attached to it with red ribbon. Every year on Valentine's Day, since they were kids, Ino made chocolates for Shikamaru and Choji, but it's different this year. She made a friendship chocolate for Choji like she usually did but for Shikamaru, she was giving him a chocolate to express that she loves him. She didn't know when she started to see him differently, but she thought that maybe she always has thought him different from other guys. When he became a Chūnin, she noticed that a lot of girls approached him with chocolate and she was jealous of the other girls trying to give him their chocolate. But she was relieved when he would politely turn them down. Hinata would give him one too but she knew Hinata would give one for all the boys who were her friends. So she went to find Choji first because he would know where Shikamaru would be. She walked around looking for him until she found him at Ichiraku's, slurping up bowl after bowl with (surprise, surprise) Naruto.

"Choji, there you are, I was looking for you," Ino called to him.

Choji slurped up the broth and looked up at Ino, smiled and replied, "Oh, hi Ino."

Then she pulled the chocolate for Choji and said to him, "Happy Valentine's Day, Choji."

Choji took the chocolate from her and said "Thank you, Ino."

Naruto then came up from behind her back and noticed the other chocolate behind her back.

Being the nosy person he is, he asked, "Who's this one for, Ino?"

Ino jumped and kept the other chocolate from their eyes and yelled while flustered, "That's none of your business, Naruto!"

With her face red, she turned back to Choji and asked, "By the way Choji, do you know where Shikamaru is?"

Choji smiled and answered, "Yeah, he is at our training grounds; he said he was going to train and then he would watch clouds."

Ino nodded and said, "Thanks, oh and Naruto, go and find Hinata. I'm sure she was looking for you."

When she left, she saw that Naruto had a clueless expression on his face.

"_He is dense when it comes to Hinata_," Ino thought amusingly.

She knew that Hinata would try to give Naruto Valentine chocolate but then would fail miserably.

"I wish her luck this year," Ino thought.

So then she went on her way to the training grounds and as she was getting closer, she was getting more nervous. It wasn't until she found him at the tree that she felt her heart pounding. But when she got close enough, her heart stopped at the sight of Temari with him. She quickly and quietly hid in the tree and listened in to what they are saying.

"Here Shikamaru, this is for you," Temari said as she held out chocolate to him.

She added, "I was also wondering if you would like to go out with me."

Ino felt tears stinging her eyes, threatening to fall, she didn't want to hear anymore. She started to climb down the tree until she heard something that made her stop in her tracks.

"Thanks Temari, but I can't accept it nor do I want to go out with you," Shikamaru replied to Temari.

Ino silently gasped, she didn't think that he would reject Temari; she thought that he might have liked her.

She listened more as he continued, "I only accept chocolate from friends and from one other person who means a lot."

Temari withdrew her chocolate, held it at her side, and gave a resigned sigh and asked, "It's that girl Ino, isn't it?"

Ino was waiting in suspense, and then she heard him say, "Yeah, it is."

Ino's face was a bright pink but she was smiling happily when she heard what he said.

"Ever since we were kids, she would make chocolate for me and Choji, every year on Valentine's Day. At first, I thought she wouldn't keep making them when she made them the first time when we were six, but she surprised me when she made us chocolate the next year. So, I accept them because Ino makes them," he added.

Ino just wanted to jump down from the tree and kiss him but that would give her away. So she watched as Temari said something to him and then walked away and Shikamaru laid himself down on the grass and closed his eyes.

"Ino, I know you're up there; come down," Shikamaru called out to her as he opened one eye.

Ino was surprised but then realized, "_Of course he would know, he's a genius_."

So she jumped out of the tree, landed softly on her next to him, looked down at him and asked, "How did you know I was here?"

Shikamaru peeked through his eye up at her and answered, "I would recognize your chakra anywhere."

He added in his head, "_You also are wearing the perfume I gave you for your birthday last year_." But he wouldn't admit that he knows her scent; much less to her.

Accepting his answer, she sat down next to him and still held the chocolate out of his sight. Before she would give him the chocolate, she wanted to clarify something first.

So she took a deep breath to calm her nerves but unsuccessfully suppressing a light pink blush on her cheeks, and softly asked, "Did you mean all that, Shika?"

Shikamaru opened both his of eyes to look at her face and queried, "Mean all what?"

The blush on her cheeks brightened to a darker pink but she answered, "What you said about accepting my chocolate every year."

Now it was Shikamaru who blushed this time and averted his eyes and sheepishly said, "Oh, you heard that?" Ino nodded and waited expectantly for him to say something.

Shikamaru mumbled a "troublesome" under his breath, then sat up to face her completely and looked in her eyes, reminding him how they are as blue as the sky.

He then said to her, "Yes, I meant all that I said. I never admitted it to anyone else but I really look forward to getting your chocolate. It just makes me feel good that you care about Choji and me to go to the trouble of making chocolate for us. That's why I only accept your chocolate besides Hinata's, because I know you care."

Ino smiled a gentle smile at him while her heart fluttered at his words. She knows that he hides his emotions most of the time, but when he at least shows a little sincerity, he always means his words. Ino fingered the chocolate with her other hand and picked it up.

Then she said, "Well since I came to find you, this is for you."

She handed it to him as he smirked and took it out of her hand. He noticed how the box was heart-shaped, was wrapped in decorated paper with hearts and had a red rose tied with it.

Curious of the box, he said, "You know Ino, this seems to be different than your previous chocolates you gave me."

Ino blushed but replied, "Well, just…open it and you'll see why."

Shikamaru looked at it before untying the red ribbon that was holding the rose in place. He put the rose next to him, unwrapped the paper and opened the lid to look in the box. He had a surprised look on his face as he looked in the box; in it was a heart-shaped chocolate with white chocolate writing on it.

He read it out loud, "I love you, Shikamaru." She blushed as she looked away from his questioning gaze.

She heard him ask, "Ino, is this true?"

She took a deep breath as she tried to calm her beating heart. She knew she wasn't acting like herself but she couldn't bring out her confidence when she needed it. But she had to tell him the truth now or she feels she may regret it later.

She turned to look at him and answered honestly, "Yes it's true, I love you Shika."

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he stared at her speechless but then he started to say, "Ino, I…"

But he was cut off with Ino saying, "I would understand if you just want to remain friends, I just wanted to tell you how I felt about you and I…"

But then she felt her head being pulled forward and she felt Shikamaru's lips on hers. She didn't respond at first, but then she melted as she kissed him back tenderly yet with fervor. After a full minute, they reluctantly broke apart, breathing heavily.

"You talk too much, you know that?" Shikamaru said humorously.

He continued, "I was going to say that I love you too, Ino."

Ino then looked at him in shock but then she slowly smiled and asked, "Really?"

He nodded, and said, "Yeah, I always have."

Ino smiled brightly and tackled him to the ground with her arms around his neck in a hug. Shikamaru let out a chuckle as he returned the embrace, stroking her hair. Ino lifted her head from his neck and stared down into his eyes as he caressed her cheek. Then he brought her closer and their lips met once again in a fiery passionate kiss. Ino licked at his bottom lip to ask for entrance which he smirked at and obliged. Now they were letting their tongues explore the other's mouth, moans would escape from both as the kiss got more intense. But then they had to breathe so they broke apart again and gazed into each other's eyes.

Ino smiled joyfully as she asked, "Does this make me your girlfriend, Shika?"

Shikamaru smirked and replied, "That depends; do you want to be?"

Ino gave him a peck on the lips and answered, "Of course I do, Shika."

Ino got off of Shikamaru and they laid on the grass together to watch the clouds, with his arm around her waist and her head on his chest. Then Shikamaru motioned for them to sit up and broke off a bit of his chocolate and put the piece between his lips, silently requesting Ino for to share the bit of chocolate. Ino giggled at his request, her face with a pink blush but she did it anyway. She bit into the other end of the chocolate and their lips were locked again, savoring the taste of chocolate on their lover's tongue. The chocolate melted into each other's mouths as they pulled away, with Shikamaru licking his lips.

Playfully, he said to her, "You taste good with chocolate, Ino."

Ino played along, "I could say the same to you too."

Then they sat there until the sun was setting, sharing the chocolate Ino made together and the start of a new relationship.

**I hope you like this story as much as I loved writing it. Please feel free to review. Happy Valentine's Day!**


End file.
